Ski randonnée or alpine touring (AT) is generally a form of backcountry skiing. Randonnée skis and bindings typically allow a skier's heel to release and pivot at the toe for periods of uphill travel, and are able to lock down the heel for downhill travel. Ski randonée generally differs from cross-country skiing equipment and more robust telemark equipment in that for cross-country and telemark ski the skier's heel also is free on the descent, randonée is different than alpine touring as alpine touring skiers lock down their heels at all times.
Ski touring may be carried out using a variety of equipment. For example, nordic ski touring is skiing with bindings that leave the heels relatively free all the time. Nordic skis may be narrow and edgeless cross-country types for groomed trails with boots that resemble soft shoes. Nordic skis may have fish-scale bases which allow for very natural, seamless travel up and over hilly terrain due to the lack of a need to change modes for ascending and descending.
Telemark skis may be used for steep backcountry terrain or within alpine ski-areas. Telemark gear, like AT equipment, is frequently used for ski touring in that additional control is provided on a descent. Some telemark bindings have an AT-style pivot to allow forward rotation of the boot while touring. The pivot may be locked for downhill skiing (much like an AT binding). However, the heel of the boot may still be raised off the ski.
Alpine touring or randonnée equipment is designed for ski touring in steep terrain. A special alpine touring binding is typically used in which the heel may be clipped down for more support when skiing downhill, and released to swing resistance-free from the toe when climbing.
Alpine modified equipment may also be used for ski touring. Alpine skiing equipment may be modified with the addition of a removable binding insert. This insert allows free heel swing on ascents. The advantage of this set up is maximum support and safety release at higher speeds, in more difficult snow conditions and on steeper slopes as well as no new ski equipment needs other than the insert. Some of the major downside of this equipment arrangement include that it is very heavy, stiff, unwieldy, cumbersome, and uncomfortable on uphill climbs and long traverses.
Another medication to skiing equipment includes the use of risers. Risers typically are interspersed between the ski and the binding such that the binding is raised from the ski. Using a riser provides improvement in edge control, generically referred to as edging, and the like.
Moreover, the presently available choices to skiers is to use cumbersome equipment. Thus, it would be desirous to provide equipment with an ease of use that may allow skiers who commonly rely on lift service but also ski tour to be capable of using lift services without owning a second pair of skis.
Against this background, it would be desirous to provide an improved apparatus for a ski randonée or alpine touring ski.